•India dropped one spot to 25th in the 2026 Gender Equality in Chess Index (GECI), despite an improved overall score of 71.04.
•The country boasts a high performance score of 97.49, indicating strong competitiveness of Indian women players internationally.
•However, a low participation score of 18.72 highlights fewer women taking up chess compared to other nations.
•The slip in ranking is attributed to a slight dip in India's progress score and faster improvements by other countries like UAE, Maldives, and Uzbekistan.
•All India Chess Federation (AICF) is urged to boost female participation and consider adding a woman member to its all-male board, led by president Nitin Narang.
